Thieves at the door
THE Silly Solly’s discount brand comeback will include the opening of a new store in Townsville.
The brand is continuing its aggressive rollout across Queensland with plans for six more stores in the north of the state and a much bigger operation in Rockhampton.
The Silly Solly’s “nothing over $ 5” chain, which opened its first stores in Rockhampton Yeppoon and Gladstone late last year, is opening a Silly Solly’s Superstore in Cairns next weekend, the first of four of its shops planned for the city.
Rockhampton businessmen Solly Stanton and Brad Walton have teamed up with Steve Watchman of the “Nothing over $ 10” chain with the first Cairns store launching at the Showgrounds Shopping Centre this Saturday.
They will also open smaller Cairns outlets in Lake St, Raintrees Shopping Centre and Stockland Earlville, before rolling out stores across Townsville, Ayr and Mackay, with plans to take the brand nationwide.
The Silly Solly’s brand is making a strong comeback 18 years after the 40- store discount variety chain was sold to the Warehouse Group in a multimillion- dollar deal. A RETIREMENT village has been hit by thieves looking for a “soft target”, leading police to warn the public about the importance of locking screen doors.
At least nine homes were targeted by criminals on Saturday night in Carlyle Gardens Townsville, a lifestyle resort in Condon.
District Duty Officer Robert Dusha said police were aware of at least nine attempted break and enters in the village.
“We’ve had crews there all morning and scenes of crime officers as well,” he said yesterday.
“They have been subject to this type of activity before where thieves hit several units in one go.”
The Bulletin spoke with three couples whose homes had been targeted unsuccessfully by thieves.
The criminals used the same method in each case – climbing over a fence behind Carlyle Gardens and cutting a hole through the mesh in a screen door.
They then tried to access the lock behind the door but were foiled by the residents who had all locked the doors with a key.
It’s thought the criminals were armed with a specialised tool to access the lock through the hole.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said she was awake when the attempted break- in took place.
She was not able to sleep that night due to pain in her back and did not notice someone was nearby trying to break in.
“At night we always lock the door with a key,” she said.
She added it was not the first time criminals had tried to break into her home.
Sandry Buurman, also from the estate, found a pool of blood outside her back door.
She believes a thief was cut while trying to gain access to her home.
Both residents were able to mend their own screen doors.
The Bulletin contacted Carlyle Gardens for comment.
Police have regularly reminded Townsville residents to ensure their homes and vehicles are looked at all times.
A spokesman said police urged all residents to be vigilant with the security of their property.